Democrats reject state budget cuts

Illinois House Democrats have both shied away from keeping the state's income tax hike and rejected the spending cuts they say would be needed if taxes drop, raising big questions about what happens next with a week to go before their budget deadline.

Suburban lawmakers of both parties today were united in soundly rejecting the spending cuts proposal by a 5-107 vote. One of the rare supporters was state Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, whose budget committee had previously prepared a more austere spending plan. Mike Riopell has the story in the Daily Herald.